Bill Nye the Science Guy has accepted an invitation to participate in what is already shaping up to be a volatile debate with well-known creationist Ken Ham.

In one corner is Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society in Pasadena and a proponent of evolution. In the other corner is Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis-U.S. and founder of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky. He believes creationism is the correct answer. The two will meet in a sold-out public debate on Feb. 4, at the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

“This guy and his beliefs are in their midst, and we can’t have this way of thinking for our science students,” Nye said. “We can’t present (creationism) as a reasonable alternative to science, because it’s not right, it’s wrong.

“The Earth is not 10,000 years old. To have people like this organization try to insinuate themselves in our schools is not appropriate and (is) a formula for a darker future.”

Ham argues that Darwin’s theory of evolution is not a theory, but a “belief.”

“I can’t prove God created it, but we will show what we observe in the present is consistent with (creationism) and not with Darwin’s idea,” Ham said. “Secularists and people like Bill Nye know there’s evidence of (evolution). Obviously we all have the same evidence.”

“Debate is healthy for education and people need to hear the creationists’ side,” Ham said. “To think about the issue is a good thing. I know Bill Nye is not going to present anything new, and I’m not going to present anything new. I think this brings it to a public forum in a way for other people to hear both sides of the issue.”

Nye said he has “no problem getting in the lion’s den” to debate his side of the issue of evolution in public schools, even though it will be on Ham’s turf, potentially filled with an audience who pooh-poohs evolution, Nye said.

“It either makes me anxious, or it’s an opportunity to influence that many more people and, frankly, have that much more fun,” he said.

The debate announcement on Wednesday ignited a social media blitz on Facebook and Twitter.

“I find a lot of the atheists don’t want to debate this,” Ham said. “It’s interesting to see atheists responding to this.”

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While Nye didn’t comment on his religious beliefs, he said he does believe Earth is four-and-a-half billion years old, and in evolution — beliefs that are rooted in scientific evidence.

“What I have come to believe is we are at least one of the ways the universe knows itself,” Nye said. “That is extraordinary.”